Device for separating strip material



' M., B. HALL DEVICE FOR SEPARATING STRIP MATERIAL June 16, 1942.

s Sheets-Sheet '1 Filed Nov. 27, 1941 June 16, 1942. M. B. HALL DEVICE FOR SEPARATING STRIP MATERIAL :s Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 27, 1941 M MN upon the Patented June 16, W42

DEVICE FOR SEPARATING STRIP MATERIAL Marchand B. Hall, Chicago, 111., assignor to Acme Visible Records, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application November 27, 1941, Serial No. 420,693

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a machine for separating flexible visible index strips from a sheet thereof, and refers specifically to a machine which cleanly separates said strips and discharges the separated strips in an orderly manner, that is, with the strips positioned relative to each other as they were while in sheet form, whereby the same may be conveniently handled in removing them from the machine and in subsequently inserting them in appropriate frames.

Flexible visible index strips such as those described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,594,112 are well known and Widely used. Flexible index strips of this type are provided in continuous sheet form comprising wood veneer faced on the front and back with paper. The laminated sheet thus formed is then partially severed in the direction of its thickness or depth to permit subsequent separating into individual resilient index strips. The sheet while in partially severed condition is sufliciently coherent to be passed, for instance, around the platen of a typewriter whereby the index matter is typed individual strips. strips are severed completely and inserted in appropriate frames.

Briefly described my invention comprises a frame carrying a pair of superimposed rollers spaced from each other. a resilient cushion, preferably of sponge rubber, is adapted to support a sheet of partially severed strips upon the frame with the severed surface facing upwardly. The carrier supporting the partially severed sheet is adapted to pass between the spaced rollers, the space between the rollers being such with respect to the thickness of the resilient face carrier, that the resilient cushion is severely strained and depressed in passing between the rollers, the unsevered face of the sheet of strips being stressed during passage between the rollers to such an extent as to tear the connections between adjacent strips.

The objects and advantages. of my invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and following detailed description.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my machine illustrated during the operation of separating flexible index strips.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Thereafter, the v A carrier, faced with.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional View taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view similar to that shown in Fig. 3 on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 7 is a sectional View of a sheet of flexible visible index strips after partial severance and prior to complete separation.

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the strips completely separated.

Referring in detail to the drawings I indicates a substantially rectangular platform having downwardly extending marginal flanges 2. A pair of channel members 3 are secured to the lower face of the platform I adjacent opposite ends thereof, said channel members extending transversely of the length of the platform. Four I paratively smooth surface without slipping.

Standards 5 and 6 are mounted upon the upper face of the platform I intermediate the length of the platform, said standards being transversely spaced from each other. A roll I is journalled as at 8 and 9 (Fig. 4) in standards 5 and E respectively. The roll 1 carries throughout substantially its entire length a resilient rubber cover I9. A roll II is also journalled as at I2 and I3 (Fig. 4) in the standards 5 and 6 respectively, said r011 being disposed parallel to, and spaced from roll 1. Resilient rubber sleeves I4, I5 and I6 are carried upon the roll II, the sleeve I5 being disposed intermediate the sleeves M and I6 and being spaced from said sleeves leaving spaced uncovered portions of the roll as indicated at IT and I8 (Fig. 4).

A roll I9 is also journalled as at 29 and 2| (Fig. 4) in the standards 5 and 6 respectively, said roll being positioned immediately above roll II and being in contacting relationship with sleeves I4, I5 and I6 carried by roll II. The roll I9 is of relatively large diameter compared to the diameter of roll II, and as will hereinafter more fully appear, the roll I9 functions as a backing roll for the smaller roll II so as to prevent excessive deflection of the roll II during operation of the device.

A portion of the shaft of roll I9 projects beyond the standard 5 and a crank 22 having a handle 23 is adapted to rotate roll I9. At the opposite end of roll I9, a sprocket wheel 24 is mounted exteriorly of standard 6. Similarly. a

sprocket wheel 25 is mounted upon a projecting portion of the shaft of roll I. A sprocket chain 25 is trained around sprocket wheels 24 and 25 and as a result thereof, rotation of roll I9 is accompanied by rotation of roll 1 in the same angular direction.

A pair of upwardly extending frame members 21 are mounted in spaced relationship upon the upper surface of platform said frame members extending from an edge of the platform to a point adjacent standards and 6. Another pair of frame members 28 are mounted upon the upper surface of platform I and extend from the opposite end of the platform to a point adjacent the standards 5 and 6, the frame members 21 and 28 being in alignment.

A carrier 23 comprises a rigid plate 30 constructed of metal, wood or hard fibre board, and carrying a plurality of parallel spaced cushion members 3| constructed of a resilient material such as sponge rubber, is adapted to be supported upon the upper edges of the members 21 preparatory to separating the flexible index strips.

As will be hereinafter more fully described, the carrier member is moved forwardly between rolls 1 and H from the upper edges of the frame members 21 to the upper edges of the frame members 28.

Referring particularly to Fig. '7, a sheet of flexible index strips is illustrated at 32. The sheet comprises a core of Wood veneer or the like 33, which is faced on opposite surfaces by fibrous sheets 34 and 35. The sheet 34, which comprises the upper or face sheet of the strips, is of such character as to receive typing or printing. In the manufacture of the sheet 32, the sheet is scored along a plurality of parallel score lines 36, the scoring operation being so controlled as to penetrate the upper fibrous sheet 34 and the core 33. However, the lowermost sheet 35 is maintained intact and functions to hold the individual strips in sheet form so that the sheet as a whole may be inserted. for instance, into a typewriter, to inscribe the faces of the strips with desired indicia. After the sheet 32 has been scored and properly typed as hereinbefore described, the strips are adapted to be separated from each other so that the same may be in serted in appropriate frames as contemplated in United States Letters Patent No. 1,594,112.

In separating the individual strips, the sheet of strips is positioned upon the upper surface of the resilient members 3| with the scored surface of the sheet uppermost. The carrier 29 at this stage of the operation is supported upon the upper edges of the frame members 21. The crank 22 is then rotated in a clockwise direction (Fig. 2) and simultaneously the carrier 29 is manually urged toward the rolls 1 and The end edges of the resilient cushions 3| are tapered as indicated at 33 in Fig. 2, so that the carrier will be conveniently gripped by the rubber surfaces of the rolls 1 and H. As the crank handle is rotated the resilient cushions 3| are squeezed or depressed, as shown best in Fig. 3. In so squeezing or depressing the cushion. the path of travel of the cushion between rolls 1 and I! dips more or less abruptly. The sheet 3 carried upon the upper surface of the cushions 3| are thus brought into contact with the sleeves l4, l5 and I6 of roll II and the individual strips are caused to follow the surfaces of said sleeves for a considerable angle due to the abrupt dip which takes place in the cushion during the passage between the rolls 1 and H. In passing around the surfaces of the sleeves l4, l5 and I6, the lower sheet 35 of the strips is subjected to tension and the sheet is severed between adjacent strips.

A plate 34 is mounted at one end upon a bracket 35 which bridges the two supporting members 28 adjacent their ends. A bar 33 is mounted at opposite ends upon the standards 5 and G and is secured thereto by means of screws or the like 31. A portion of the plate 34 is struck upwardly to form a flange 38 which is secured by means of screws or the like 39 to an intermediate portion of the bar 36. Two tongues 4|, 4| are formed integral with the plate 34 and extend downwardly from bar 36 along a plane which is substantially parallel to the plane of travel of the cushions 3| upon the carrier 29 during their passage between the rolls 1 and II. The fingers 4| are curved upwardly after their passage beneath the roll along a plane substantially parallel to the plane of movement of the upper surface of the cushions 3| as they enter the space between the rolls 1 and The fingers 4| are positioned in spaced relationship with respect to each other and are disposed adjacent the surface of the roll I in the spaces l1 and i8.

It will be noted that the fingers 4| function as guides for the passage of the sheet 32 beneath the roll H and the lower surface of the plate 34 functions as a guide for the separated strips carried upon the upper surface of the cushions 3| after the sheet 32 has passed between the rolls 1 and H.

During operation of my device the roll II is driven by frictional contact with the roll I9. If desired, the diameter of roll l9 may be greater than the diameter of' roll 1 whereby the peripheral speed of the sleeves will be slightly greater than the peripheral speed ofthe surface of the roll 1. Such an arrangement will tend to move the strips at a slightly greater translatory speed than the speed of the carrier 29. This action, obviously, augments the tensioning of the sheet 32.

In addition, while the carrier 23moves a distance as indicated by arrow 42, the upper surface of the cushions 3| move a distance roughly indicated by the curved arrow 43. In view of the fact that both movements take place in the same period of time, the upper surface of the cushions and, hence, the sheet 32 must be removed at a greater rate than the translatory movement of the carrier and, consequently, tension is created in the sheet 32. Further, the strips constituting the sheet 32 are flexed along their axis in traveling around a portion of the periphery of the sleeves I4, l5 and I6, thus creating a condition of tension in the convex, un'severed lower surface of the sheet 32. The result of these actions is the severance of the sheet 35.

It will be noted that the strips after passing between rolls 1 and II are carried forwardly in separated condition in the same relationship which the strips occupy in the unsevered sheet 32.

It will be noted that the diameter of the roll I and sleeves I4, I 5 and I6 is such as to create tension in the lower sheet 35 of the sheet of strips 32, but is not of sufliciently small diameter as to unduly longitudinally flex the strips.

After the entire carrier 29 has been passed between rolls 1 and I, the same will be supported upon the upper edges of the members 28 The carrier 29 supporting the separated strips may then be slid transversely from between the upper edges of the members 28 and the lower surface of the plate 34, and the strips may then be conveniently inserted in a, suitable frame I claim as my invention:

1.. A device for separating visible index strips from a partially severed sheet of visible index strips which comprises, a frame, a roll journalled in said frame, a rotary strip-separating member journalled in said frame, the surface of said strip-separating member being spaced from the surface of said roll a predetermined distance, a carrier adapted to pass between said roll and strip-separating member, said carrier comprising a resilient cushion upon which a partially severed sheet of visible index strips is supported, said carrier being greater in thickness than the distance between said roll and strip-separating member whereby said resilient cushion is squeezed and caused to wrap around a predetermined portion of the periphery of the strip-separating member, said sheet of strips being confined between said cushion and said strip-separating member whereby said sheet is subjected to tension to completely separate said strips, and means for rotating said roll and strip-separating member to propel the carrier forwardly therebetween.

2. A device for separating visible index strips from a partially severed sheet of visible index strips which comprises, a frame, a pair of rolls journalled in said frame, said rolls being spaced a predetermined distance from each other, a carrier adapted to pass between said rolls, said carrier comprising a resilient cushion upon which a partially severed sheet of visible index strips is supported, said carrier being greater n thickness than the distance between said rolls whereby said resilient cushion is squeezed between said rolls and caused to wrap around one of said rolls for a predetermined angle, said sheet of strips being confined between said resilient cushion and said wrapped roll whereby said sheet is subjected to tension to completely separate said strips, and means for rotating said rolls to propel the carrier forwardly between said rolls.

3. A device for separating visible index strips from a partially severed sheet of visible index strips which comprises, a frame, a pair of rolls journalled in said frame, said rolls being spaced a predetermined distance from each other and being of different diameters, carrier adapted to pass between said rolls, said carrier comprising a resilient cushion upon which a partially severed sheet of visible index strips is upported, said carrier being greater in thickness than the distance between said rolls whereby said resilient cushion is squeezed between said rolls and caused to wrap around a portion of the periphery of the smaller diameter roll, said sheet of strips being confined between said resilient cushion and said smaller diameter roll whereby said sheet is sub jected to tension to completely separate said strips, and means for rotating said rolls to propel the carrier forwardly between said rolls.

4. A device for separating visible index strips from a partially severed sheet of visible index strips which comprises, a frame, a pair of resiliently covered rolls journalled in said frame, said rolls being spaced a predetermined distance from each other, a carrier adapted to pass between said rolls, said carrier comprising a resilient cushion upon which a partially severed sheet of visible index strips is supported, said carrier being greater in thickness than the distance between said rolls whereby said resilient cushion is squeezed between said rolls and caused to wrap around one of said rolls for a predetermined angle, said sheet of strips being confined between said resilient cushion and said wrapped roll whereby said sheet is subjected to tension to completely separate said strips, and means for rotating said rolls to propel the carrier forwardly between said rolls.

5. A device for separating visible index strips from a partially severed sheet of visible index strips which comprises, a frame, a pair of rolls journalled in said frame, with their axes substantially horizontal, said rolls being spaced a predetermined distance from each other and bein of different diameters, a carrier adapted to pass between said rolls, said carrier having a resilient cushion upon its upper surface upon which a partially severed sheet of visible index strips is supported, said carrier including said resilient cushion being greater in thickness than the distance between said rolls whereby said resilient cushion is squeezed between said rolls and caused to wrap around a portion of the periphery of the smaller diameter roll, said sheet of strips being confined between said resilient cushion and said smaller diameter roll whereby said sheet is subjected to tension to completely separate said strips, a third roll having a diameter greater than the diameter of said smaller roll journalled in said frame, said third roll being disposed in surface contacting relationship with said smaller diameter rolls to support said latter roll against excessive deflection, and means for rotating all of said rolls to propel the carrier forwardly between said first-mentioned two rolls.

6. A device for separating visible index strips from a partially severed sheet of visible index strips which comprises, a frame, a pair of rolls journalled in said frame, said rolls being spaced a predetermined distance from each other, a carrier adapted to pass between said rolls, said carrier comprising a resilient cushion upon which a partially severed sheet of visible index strips is supported, said carrier being greater in thickness than the distance between said rolls whereby said resilient cushion is squeezed between said rolls and caused to wrap around one of said rolls for a predetermined angle, said sheet of strips being confined between said resilient cushion and said wrapped roll whereby said sheet is subjected to tension to completely separate said strips, means carried upon said frame for guiding said strips during their passage adjacent and between said rolls, and means for rotating said rolls to propel the carrier forwardly between said rolls.

'7. A device for separating visible index strips from a partially severed sheet of visible index strips which comprises, a frame, a pair of rolls journalled in said frame, with their axes substantially horizontal, said rolls being vertically spaced a predetermined distance from each other and the upper roll being of smaller diameter, a carrier adapted to pass between said rolls, said carrier having a resilient cushion upon its upper surface upon which a partially severed sheet of visible index strips is supported, said carrier including said cushion being greater in thickness than the distance between said rolls whereby said resilient cushion is squeezed between said rolls and caused to wrap around a portion of the periphery of the smaller diameter upper roll, said sheet of strips being confined between said resilient cushion and said smaller diameter roll whereby said sheet is subjected to tension to completely separate said strips, a third roll having a diameter greater than the diameter.

of said smaller roll journalled in said frame, said third roll being disposed in surface contacting relationship with said smaller diameter rolls to support said latter roll against excessive deflection, means for rotating said third roll, and

means connecting said third roll and roll of larger diameter together, said roll of smaller diameter being driven by frictional contact with said third roll whereby said carrier is propelled forwardly between said first-mentioned two rolls.

MARCHAND B. HALL 

